Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Council committee advances tougher vacant commercial‑property registration with higher fees, bonds
Summary
A Buildings & Lands subcommittee voted to send to council an ordinance that would raise registration fees, require the city be named additional insured, and require cash bonds for vacant commercial buildings in targeted corridors.
The Buildings & Lands subcommittee of the Lorain City Council voted June 11 to send to full council a proposed amendment to the city’s vacant commercial property registration code that adds insurance requirements, higher fees and a cash bond for certain buildings.
Ben Cruz, the city’s BHP director, told the committee the proposal would require owners of vacant commercial properties to name the City of Lorain as additional insured on property‑insurance policies so the city would be notified of lapses or changes. The ordinance would raise the annual registration fee from $400 to $1,000 and add a $500 annual increase for each year the building remains vacant. The draft also includes a cash bond requirement — the ordinance text proposes either $10,000 or $15,000 depending on building size — that the city could use to abate nuisances or pay to secure and repair properties when necessary.
Cru…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
